Sophia aimed her gun squarely at Henny, her voice trembling but firm."I did everything you asked. I killed Alex. Now let my mother and brother go."Henny clapped mockingly, a twisted smile spreading across her face."I like your spirit, girl! A real woman has to be cunning and ruthless. You know, I killed my own husband because he stood in my way."Her eyes narrowed with cruel amusement."If only you weren't Betty’s granddaughter, if only we weren't enemies, I might've actually liked you. But sadly, we are on opposite sides."Without warning, Henny turned and struck Florence hard across the face."Stop it!" Sophia screamed, desperation cracking her voice. "You promised me!""Promises!" Henny laughed bitterly. "You're still just a cub, aren't you? Hasn't your idiot grandmother taught you never to trust your enemy!"Sophia’s face drained of all color, realization crashing down on her.She'd been naive—painfully, dangerously naive.Henny’s voice turned smooth, almost tender.“Alright th

Their lips met and the world went silent.It wasn’t just a kiss—it was the kind of kiss that stripped away every defense, every mask.Soft, deep, and achingly pure… it tasted of something Alex had never felt before.Sweet like the first rush of young love, dangerous like a fire you couldn’t stop. His breath quickened, his heart hammered so hard it hurt.And he knew—he knew—Josephine was kissing him back.For a few intoxicating seconds, the space between them ceased to exist. Until… it stopped.Her palm came to his cheek, warm and tender, but there was a quiet strength in it as she pushed him back.“You really are a playboy, Alex,” she said, her voice low, almost teasing—but her flushed cheeks betrayed her. Her eyes, wide and luminous, were so pure it made him ache.“Josephine…” he whispered, his voice rough with something he couldn’t name.She pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him.“What you’re doing is wrong, Alex,” she murmured, her tone almost scolding but laced with concern.

Florence stormed up to Alex, her face twisted with rage, voice trembling on the edge of a scream.“You hit Madam Henny first, you idiot! You handed her the perfect excuse to come after us! This all started because of you!”She stabbed her finger toward the inferno raging outside, the flames painting her face in violent orange.“Look at that mansion—burning to the ground! Why is this happening to us? Because of you!”“We got stabbed because of you! Ever since you walked into our lives, nothing good has happened to us—nothing!”Alex lifted an eyebrow, calm in the face of her fury. The truth was, if he hadn’t stepped in, Florence and Jack would already be dead.And as for “nothing good”… well, thanks to him, Sophia now wore the title of Governor of Paris.But she wasn’t entirely wrong—Henny had plenty of reasons to want revenge, and yes, one of them was him.Florence’s glare was like a blade. “Now our mansion is gone. You’d better give me that money, or I swear—I’ll chase you to my last

The State of Colombia, under Governor Pablo Falcao, was in a live conference with six other state governors.“Four new governors in just one year—Vancouver, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Paris… unbelievable,” Pablo muttered, his voice thick with contempt.“They must have been handpicked by the king himself,” he added, leaning forward.“We, the old guard, can’t just sit here and let that boy do whatever he wants. If we don’t act now, we’ll be replaced too.”“We can’t let that stupid, brainless king—who spends his days chasing women—lead this country into ruin!”One of the governors raised an eyebrow. “Pablo, don’t you think the new king is better than the old one?”“He’s too young to be our king—and far too foolish!” Pablo snapped.His palm slammed against the table with a crack that echoed through the call. “If he stops us from making weapons, where the hell will our profits come from?”“Oh, come on, Pablo. We’re the weakest country out there. Any weapon we make means nothing to the other

When Lyra ended the call, another phone rang.“Alex,” an elderly man’s voice came through, warm but formal.“You promised you’d come check on our health. When will I have that honor?”Alex leaned back. “Well, I can come right now—if you know where to find me and send someone to pick me up.”“Of course! How could I not know where the God’s Hand doctor is? We’ve been waiting patiently for our turn to be honored by your visit.”“I’ll send my people for you immediately. Will that be acceptable?”Alex glanced at Josephine, a sly smile forming. “Fine—but I’ll be bringing a young woman with me. Is that alright?”“Certainly, certainly. Bring anyone you like. We will treat them with the same highest hospitality we give you.”“No need for special treatment. Just treat her like usual,” Alex chuckled, then hung up.He turned to Josephine. “Pack your clothes. We’re going to Vinland.”Josephine’s eyes widened.“Vinland State? That’s the most beautiful place in the country! Lakes, forests, everythin